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Back The Ringmaster Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. The Ringmaster
  3. Contents
  4. Prologue
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. Epilogue
  72. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  73. Copyright

‘The game has changed. The remaining interviews of circus staff will take place at the station. We are in the headlines now. No one, but no one will talk to the media except me. I want a uniform branch presence down at that circus now. This is bound to draw out the crackpots again. I don’t want any incidents.’ He shook the paper in the air again. ‘If you were responsible for this, you can expect to hear from me personally, and soon.’ He paused, waiting for the veiled threat to sink in. ‘You are dismissed.’

You could feel the collective sense of relief at those three words.

‘That man should be an actor,’ I whispered to Smithy, ‘such a sense for the dramatic.’

‘Damned right, that flourish would be hard to beat – talk about playing the crowd. I pity the poor sod who let that information slip.’

The room erupted into action, but just as bums had started to rise from seats, he bellowed out one more command. Everyone froze mid-manoeuvre.

‘DC Shephard, I want to see you, now.’

26

All heads turned to stare as I walked back into the squad room. I paused, not quite sure what to do or say when Smithy came straight out with the question that was no doubt in all their minds.

‘So have you still got a job? What did he want to see you about?’

My shoulders slumped and my voice reflected my enthusiasm.

‘Nothing, absolutely nothing. All he wanted was to tell me to go down to the circus this morning, seeing as I’m their requested liaison, and oversee the transport of the last members to the station for questioning. Oh, and to iron out any issues Mr Bennett might have after the newspaper revelations, of which I’m sure there’ll be plenty.’

‘Sorry?’ David Reihana said from the corner of the room. ‘He singled you out in front of everyone just for that? God, I thought he’d decided you were the leak and was going to fry your arse.’

‘You and everyone else there. You should have seen some of the filthy looks I got on the way back here. He may as well have had me fingerprinted, processed and proclaimed guilty as charged.’ I swallowed down the small lump in my throat, but couldn’t hide the tell-tale crackle. ‘Why the hell did he have to do that?’

After this morning’s blank note under the wipers, this added yet another layer of distaste to my day. My usual chirp was shot.

‘Don’t take it personally, Shep. That was low, even for him,’ Smithy said, as he came over and gave me a pat on the shoulder.

‘What do you mean?’ I asked.